TORONTO BLACK FILM FESTIVAL 2017 ANNOUNCES FULL PROGRAMMING
FIFTH ANNUAL FESTIVAL MARKS BLACK HISTORY MONTH, FEBRUARY 15-19
Toronto, ON (January 19, 2017) – Toronto Black Film Festival (TBFF), presented by TD Bank in collaboration with Global News, announces the official program and events lineup for its fifth annual Festival running February 15-19, 2017. The 2017 edition of TBFF includes 6 International Premieres, 11 Canadian Premieres and 1 World Premiere. One of Canada’s premier festivals for black film showcases 40 films from 20 countries for its fifth edition, including Sierra Leone, Nigeria, South Africa, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Denmark, Tanzania, Germany, Namibia, Hungary, Grenada, Rwanda, Canada, U.S.A. and more.
Venues include Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.), the Isabel Bader Theatre (93 Charles St. W), and Jackman Hall at the Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas St. W.).
For more information, visit www.torontoblackfilm.com.
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OPENING NIGHT
Presented by Global News
TELL THEM WE ARE RISING: THE STORY OF HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
D: Stanley Nelson | U.S.A. | 2016 | 90’ | English | Canadian Premiere
Wednesday, February 15, 2017 – 7:30 PM – Isabel Bader Theatre (93 Charles St. W.)
Helmed by Emmy-award winning filmmaker Stanley Nelson, ‘TELL THEM WE ARE RISING’ is an unapologetic re-telling of the history of black education in the United States. The PBS-backed documentary is also an official selection of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.
AN INTIMATE NIGHT WITH: LOUIS GOSSETT JR.
Presented by TD Bank
10 MINUTES
D: Satie Gossett | USA| 2015 | 18’ | English | Ontario Premiere
Saturday, February 18, 2017 – 9 PM – Jackman Hall AGO (317 Dundas St. W.).
Ontario Premiere of Satie Gossett’s 10 MINUTES followed by a discussion and Q&A with Oscar-winner and philanthropist Louis Gossett Jr. who is Toronto Black Film Festival’s 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient for his work in the film industry and dedication to the education and empowerment of black youth in the United States.
G98.7 LIVE AT TORONTO BLACK FILM FESTIVAL
Presented by G98.7
Sunday, February 19, 2017 – 2 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
A real-talk session about the realities in today’s black communities such as #BlackLivesMatter,#BlackWealthMatters, #DiversityOnScreen and more. Featured guests: Fritz Roy Gordon and TBFF founder Fabienne Colas, among others.
CLOSING NIGHT
Presented by Fabienne Colas Foundation
THE LUCKY SPECIALS
D: Rea Rangaka | South Africa | 2016 | 108’ | English | North American Premiere
Sunday, February 19, 2017 – 9 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
A small-time cover band triumphs through tragedy by following their passion for music and art. THE LUCKY SPECIALS entertains and re-shapes attitudes around tuberculosis.
NARRATIVE FEATURE FILMS
76’
D: Izu Ojukwu | Nigeria | 2016 | 118’ | English, Igbo
Thursday, February 16, 2017 – 5 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
A young pregnant woman and her husband’s stories collide as he is accused of the assassination of the Head-of-State.
9 RIDES
D: Matthew A. Cherry | USA | 2016 | 86’ | English | Canadian Premiere
Sunday, February 19, 2017 – 7 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
Filmed on iPhone 6s, an Uber driver receives life-changing news on New Years Eve and receives help from his nine customers to work through it. 9 RIDES makes its debut at SXSW in 2017.
COUPLES NIGHT
D: Mark Harris | USA | 2017 | 92’ | English | International Premiere
Friday, February 17, 2017 – 6:30 PM – Jackman Hall AGO (317 Dundas St. W.)
A bored housewife begins a Couples Night with her argumentative neighbours, sending her husband into a hilarious tailspin.
DESTINED
D: Qasim Basir | USA | 2016 | 95’ | English | Canadian Premiere
Saturday, February 18, 2017 – 6:30 PM – Jackman Hall (317 Dundas St. W.)
From street violence to corporate corruption, Rasheed explores his parallel lives proving fulfilling your destiny is never a simple journey.
ILLICIT
D: Corey Grant | USA | 2015 | 112’ | English | International Premiere
Friday, February 17, 2017 – 9 PM – Jackman Hall AGO (317 Dundas St. W.)
Exploring contemporary relationships, ILLICIT follows a couple who are seduced into complicated situations after having begun an extra-marital affair. A Q & A with director and writer of ILLICIT, Corey Grant follows the screening.
KATUTURA
D: Florian Schott | Namibia | 2015 | 114’ | English | Canadian Premiere
Saturday, February 18, 2017 – 9 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
This is the place where dreams are destined to die – until several strangers come together in the face of adversity.
LAMBADINA (NIGHT LIGHT)
D: Messay Getahun | Ethiopia, USA | 2016 | 103’ | Amharic, English
Saturday, February 18, 2017 – 5 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
A young boys dramatic tale spans the globe from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia to Los Angeles.
LIFE IS TOO SHORT
D: Antoine Allen | USA | 2015 | 73’ | English | Canadian Premiere
Saturday, February 18, 2017 – 1 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
If you knew this was the end of the world, would you do anything differently? A look at the day in the lives of five New Yorkers.
LOVE ISN’T ENOUGH
D: Saquan Jones, Erin Ryan | USA | 2016 | 73’ | English | International Premiere
Friday, February 17, 2017 – 5 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
An interracial couple face societal and familial challenges. Can their love withstand modern pressures?
OXFORD GARDENS
D: Obi Emelonye | United Kingdom | 2015 | 83’ | English | Canadian Premiere
Thursday, February 16, 2017 – 9 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
A chance meeting between a bubbly young girl and a down-on-his luck ex-boxer sets in motion an unlikely friendship.
PLAY THE DEVIL
D: Maria Govan | Trinidad and Tobago, Bahamas, USA | 2015 | 90’ | English | Ontario Premiere
Sunday, February 19, 2017 – 11 AM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
Shattering conventions of masculinity, sexuality and morality, PLAY THE DEVIL captures 18 year-old Gregory’s struggle contending with his desires and societal pressures.
THE CURSED ONES
D: Nana Obiri-Yeboah, Maximilian Claussen | United Kingdom, Ghana | 2015 | 110’ | English | Canadian Premiere
Saturday, February 18, 2017 – 11 AM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
Asabi is accused of witchcraft in her village in West Africa while a reporter fights back to save Asabi’s life. Based on true events, THE CURSED ONES is a tale of morality, corruption and community.
FEATURE AND MID-LENGTH DOCUMENTARIES
AGENTS OF CHANGE
D: Frank Dawson, Abby Ginzberg | USA | 2016 | 66’ | English | Ontario Premiere
Saturday, February 18, 2017 – 3 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
An expose of racial conditions on campuses and throughout the United States which black communities still face forty-five years later. How much has changed?
BY BLOOD
D: Marcos Barbery, Sam Russell | USA | 2015 | 66’ | English
Friday, February 17, 2017 – 9 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
BY BLOOD captures the emotional and fraught battles of indigenous peoples in America of African descent struggling to regain their tribal citizenship.
COLOUR ME BLACK
D: Kelvin Edwards, Dorothy Lucey | USA | 2015 | 62’ | English | International Premiere
Saturday, February 18, 2017 – 7 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
Part two of ‘OPEN LEGS WITH A CLOSED MIND’, COLOUR ME BLACK is poised to bring awareness to the impending extinction of black men whose ongoing assault at the hands of white supremacy and police brutality is worsening by the hour.
ELLA’S VOICE
D: Katja Duregger | Germany | 2016 | 53’ | English | World Premiere
Sunday, February 19, 2017 – 1 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
A portrait of a timeless songstress reveals her secrets that made her sound so soulful with a voice unrivaled for generations to come.
MUSIC IS OUR WEAPON
D: Taye Balogun | Kenya, Denmark, Hungary, Tanzania, United Kingdom | 2016 | 110’ | English | Canadian Premiere
Friday, February 17, 2017 – 7 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
Kenyan musicians employ music as their weapon to build bridges across social classes to inspire a population living in abject poverty.
SOUND OF REDEMPTION: THE FRANK MORGAN STORY
D: N.C. Heikin | USA | 2014 | 84’ | English | Ontario Premiere
Thursday, February 16, 2017 – 7 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
A troubled and accomplished saxophonist battled addiction and fame, landing in jail in the 1950’s. His incarceration led to one of the country’s leading 16-piece jazz groups – right out of San Quentin Jail.
THE HOUSE ON COCO ROAD
D: Damani Baker | Grenada, USA | 2016 | 82’ | English | Canadian Premiere
Saturday, February 18, 2017 – 4:00 PM – Jackman Hall AGO (317 Dundas St. W.)
Fannie Haughton, a teacher and activist, uplifts her family and lift from Oakland to join the Grenada revolution only to find out her family is on the path of a U.S. military invasion.
WALK ALL NIGHT: A DRUMBEAT JOURNEY
D: Elilta Tewelde , Kate Benzschawel and Mallory Sohmer | USA, Senegal | 2016 | 86’ | English | Ontario Premiere
Sunday, February 19, 2017 – 5 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
An idealistic social worker initiates an ambitious project to take a group of street
musicians to West Africa. Elilta Tewelde aspires to connect the young men to their
African heritage through music.
MID-LENGTH AND SHORT FILMS
10 MINUTES – with Special Event and Talk-Back presentation
D: Satie Gosset | USA | 2015 | 18’ | English | Ontario Premiere
Saturday, February 18, 2017 – 9 PM – Jackman Hall AGO (317 Dundas St. W.)
A lawyer must convince a serial killer to reveal the location of his last victim 10 minutes before his execution.
A PLACE FOR MYSELF
D: Marie-Clementine Dusabejambo| Rwanda | 2015 | 20’ | English | North American Premiere
Sunday, February 19, 2017 – 3 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
A mother and her child fight back while Elikia, a five-year old albino girl, experiences stigmatization at school and in her community.
ACROSS THE TRACK
D: Michael Cooke| USA | 2015 | 16’ | English | Ontario Premiere
Sunday, February 19, 2017 – 3 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
Two African-American sisters are born in 1960’s Georgia, but one is born with fair skin. Once their schools integrate, their destinies change.
ADORN
D: Elizabeth Melanson, Mouna Traoré | Canada | 2015 | 11’ | English | Ontario Premiere
Sunday, February 19, 2017 – 3 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
A confrontation between fantasy and reality tears down one woman’s perception of her loveless relationship.
DO YOU REMEMBER ME
D: Yaz Ali, Bailey Corneal | USA | 2016 | 4’ | English | Ontario Premiere
Sunday, February 19, 2017 – 3 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
Using sweet poetic dialogue, Delilah and Fitzgerald remember their love as it once was.
FORGIVENESS
D: Satie Gosset | USA | 2015 | 25’ | English | Ontario Premiere
Sunday, February 19, 2017 – 1 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
An essay contest leads one boy to suggest the President of the United States apologizes for America’s role in slavery.
HOUSEKEEPING
D: Chris Strikes | Canada | 2015 | 15’ | English | Ontario Premiere
Sunday, February 19, 2017 – 3 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
A housekeeper imagines her life in the clothes and belongings of the guests at the hotel she works at.
HUSTLE AND HEART
D: Koumbie| Canada | 2016 | 12’ | English | Ontario Premiere
Sunday, February 19, 2017 – 3 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
A romance blossoms between the quarterback and new starting quarterback on this highschool football team.
MATRIARCH
D: Oyaro Dancurf | Kenya | 2016 | 11’ | Swahili with English subtitles | Canadian Premiere
Thursday, February 16, 2017 – 9 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
A portrait of the struggle of a single mother living in Kenya under the scourge of poverty, working to sustain herself and her four-month old daughter.
SEE ME NOW
D: Sharon Lewis | Canada | 2016 | 5’ | English
Sunday, February 19, 2017 – 3 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
With extinction imminent, does Ambrosia leap or leave her life for good?
STRANGER
D: Barbara Mamabolo | Canada | 2016 | 12’ | English
Sunday, February 19, 2017 – 3 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
Cinema studies graduate student Nina struggles with the task to report on a film full of racist propaganda while lured by its artistic merit.
THE BOOTS
D: Leah Cohen Mays | USA| 2016 | 12’ | English | International Premiere
Sunday, February 19, 2017 – 3 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
A lighthearted comedy captures a child’s meltdown in public over a pair of boots he wants and a mothers lesson he will never forget.
THE EXAMPLE
D: Wyatt Cagle | USA | 2016 | 24’ | English | Ontario Premiere
Saturday, February 18, 2017 – 3 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
Morals, loyalty and manhood collide on a hot night in Beaumont, Texas in 1943 while the city is under marital law. A black man and his family seek to escape a racially tense atmosphere but are met by a white officer at a roadblock, where he is determined to protect his city.
THE SUIT
D: Jarryd Coetse | South Africa | 2016 | 30’ | English | Canadian Premiere
Sunday, February 19, 2017 – 7 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
Based on the acclaimed short story set in Johannesburg against the backdrop of the apartheid, a regime is forced to remove black citizens under the Group Areas Act.
TRAILING A BOND
D: Oyaro Dancurf | Kenya | 2016 | 7’ | Swahili with English subtitles | International Premiere
Friday, February 17, 2017 – 5 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
Three homeless boys risk their lives to save a two-week old infant abandoned by his mother.
DAT HAAR! (THAT HAIR)
D: Bibi Fadlalla | Netherlands | 2016 | 25’ | Dutch with English subtitles | North American Premiere
Saturday, February 18, 2017 – 7 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
Adopted from Lesotho and taken to the Netherlands, Kaylee is the only girl in her school with afro-textured hair. Tired of her mother not knowing how to treat it, they both set out to seek help.
ESCRAVOS E SANTOS
D: Marcio de Abreu | Brazil | 2015 | 26’ | Portuguese with English subtitles | Ontario Premiere
Friday, February 17, 2017 – 9 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
A tradition on the 12th of October in the outback of Bahia has roots in sharing stories of slavery as heard from their ancestors.
ANIMATED SHORT FILMS
INA
D: Muffy Levy | Canada | 2016 | 2’ | English | Ontario Premiere
Sunday, February 19, 2017 – 3 PM – Carlton Cinema (20 Carlton St.)
A daughter retells the story of her mother’s deteriorating health.
More about Toronto Black Film Festival
Founded by the Fabienne Coles Foundation, Toronto Black Film Festival is dedicated to celebrating the very best in cinematic work dealing with the varied experiences of black people from diverse communities. Their mandate is to provide an opportunity for filmmakers to shine the spotlight on authentic stories that reflect the realities of black experiences. Along with its sister festival, the Montreal International Black Film Festival (now in its thirteenth year), TBFF showcases new voices in cinema and encourages audiences to see the world in new ways. In connecting black films with viewers of all ethnic origins, they recognize the differences that make the communities they serve unique while celebrating the shared values that bring people together.
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